Gujarat is famous for its delicious food items. Majority of us are vegetarian. Diwali is special festival. Next day to Diwali is new year for us. We offer various food dishes to the lord, in almost all temples. We decorate them in front of lord. It is called ANNAKUT.

If you are at Bangalore, then don't miss this opportunity to visit SwamiNarayn temple. Here is the Diwali greeting cum invitation card with schedule and venue details. If you are not in Bangalore, then you can visit any nearest SwamiNarayan or Vaishnav Hindu temple. You will be amazed by diversity in Gujarati vegetarian food items offered to God.

All the best wishes on this festival to readers of "Express YourSelf !" Stay tune, I may post some photographs.

You will find something different at this blog "Express YourSelf !" This Navratri article is also unique. It describes cultural aspects of our India particularly Gujarat in terms of various songs lyrics that (GARABA/RASH) we sing during this festival. The Gujarati songs with English translation for the benefit of International Readers of this blog.

Navratri: Nav means Nine and Raatri means night. These is a nine night festival, is celebrated differently in different parts of India by Hindus.

Mythology Concept:

Navaratri is divided into sets of three days to adore three different aspects of the supreme goddess or goddesses.

On the first three days, the goddess is invoked as a powerful spiritual force called Durga, Amba, in order to destroy all our impurities, vices and defects.

During the next three days, the Mother is adored as a giver of spiritual wealth, Lakshmi, who is considered to have the power of bestowing on her devotees the inexhaustible wealth.

The final set of three days is spent in worshipping the daughter of brahma as the goddess of wisdom, Saraswati. In order to have all-round success in life, we need the blessings of all three aspects of the divine femininity, hence, the worship for nine nights.

During Navaratri, some devotees of Durga, observe a fast and prayers are offered for the protection of health and property. A period of introspection and purification, Navaratri is traditionally an auspicious time for starting new ventures.

On the tenth day of October Navratri, the holiday of Dussehra, an effigy of Ravana is burnt to celebrate the victory of good (Rama) over evil.

So let's all enjoy some famous/popular GARABA = song/folk songs that people sing during this dance. Look at these wordings. Its root in the Indian mythology, devotion, culture, new era etc.etc.

Devotion

Here are pure devotional songs to pray the goddess.

Let’s have Rangoli with Swastik symbol at door step. And let’s lit the lamps. Because today goddess mother Pavavali will arrive at my home.

Lord Krishna is going to dwarka and took the getup of a milkman, yes yes took the getup of a milkman....

કૃષ્ણ ભગવાન ચાલ્યા દ્વારકા અને લીધો, લીધો મણીયારા કેરો વેશ...

I am tired of writing letters to u but u don’t appreciate it Kanuda (lord Krishna)....

હું તો કાગળિયાં લખી લખી થાકી, કાનુડા તારા મન માં નથી.

Village culture.

Look at this village culture. Earlier, during this Navaratri festival only, the Indian rural women were getting chance to dance in public. So some of the GARABAAs nicely capture the day to day life of rural culture.

My golden pot and water is coming out of it.

મારું સોના નો ઘડુલો રે..., હા પાણીડાં છલકે છે.

I had been to a country fair, heart met on its own in the fair, heart lost and drowned in the flood of youth, in the fair, in the fair, in the fairrrrrrrrrr.........

હું નો ગઈ 'તી મેળે, મન..., મળી ગયું એની મેળે મેળામાં....

On my pillar, peacock is sitting, where is he speaking from.......

મારે ટોડલે બેઠો રે મોર ક્યાં બોલે ?

Innocent nephews are going to lake and dancing to the beats of drums,

I had gone to pavagadh with 25 Cents...Pavagadhwari goddess appear in front of me or else give me my 25 cents back.

પાવલી લઈને હું તો પાવાગઢ ગઈ ' તી, પાવાગઢવાળી મને દર્શન દે...

I have planted Henna at the Madava state but its color has gone to Gujarat

Merry-go-round is making noise while running. Please pay cash today. Credit will tomorrow.

સ ર ર સ ર ર મારું ચકડોળ ચાલે....આજે રોકડા ને ઉધાર કાલે.

"Please pay cash today and credit will tomorrow", means we completely discourage any credit. We Indians spends our own money rather than taking credit from bank. This self-esteem and attitude is also main reason for strong developing Indian economy.

Spicy Songs Now, enjoy few spicy songs. Some them are from Gujarati films (Dhollywood).

Oh come closer baby...it is full moon night tonight...come to dance on the shores of Jamunaji (repeat).......

ઓહ ઓરી આવ રે છોરી.

While coming and going give me a little look,though nothing else, atleast say how are you ?

If u come near I will tell you something very private matter. You are hot n spicy sweet and sour dish. Your hair are Sutarfeni of Khambhat, Your cheeks are Ghari of Surat, hey you are Rajkot's Penda, You are beautiful...

ઓરી આવે તો તને વાત કહું ખાનગી, તું ગરમ મસાલેદાર, ખાટી મીઠી વાનગી.

This song also lists out all popular delicious dishes from different parts of Gujarat.

Hair scarf tying and it is flying away (repeat). I can't hold on, I can't tolerate, something is happening to my heart.

ઓઢણી ઓઢું ઓઢું ને ઉડી જાય (૨)

નાં નાં રે રહેવાય, નાં નાં રે કહેવાય

મારા હૈયા માં કંઈ કંઈ થાય....

O sweetheart, where were you playing Raas ? your eyes are red and seems you have not slept all night....

Falguni Patahak(Dandiya queen) is very popular singer of Garabaa. She contributed with filmy and non-filmy albums. I have to spare one separate article just to cover translated Raas sung by her. This year, she is coming to Gokuldhaam Society in popular TV serial "Tarak Mehata Ka Ulataa Chasma".

Drummer beat the drum i want to take Heench, drummer beat the drum i want to take Heench, I want to take Heench and i want to play garba, o drummer. (Heench is a kind of dance)

ઢોલીડા ઢોલ રે વગાડ મારે, હીંચ લેવી છે.

Drums playing at Mahisagar, Let's see all people with different professions. What they are bringing to offer to divine mother.

હે મારી મહીસાગર ની આરે ઢોલ વાગે સે.
વાગે સે ઢોલ વાગે સે

Going to lake and dancing to the beats of drums

ભલા ભાનેગળા સરોવર જાવું ત્યાં ઢોલે રમે

And yes, before I end this article, how can we forget this? The last but not the least.

Garbi is mine garbi re, Give us some change. Garbi mine garbi take separate bananas, bananas r not separate take a friend with it, friend asking, asking for Garbo, please put oil in the Garbaa. "Come on the last day"

ગરબી મોરી ગરબી રે...

During Navaratri festival, evening time, small girls in group, go door to door. They carry GARABO (a pot with lamp inside). Sing this song. And demand for oil in GARABO to keep lamp on. People always give default answer, "Come on the last day." At the last day, the small girls gets oil, money, chocolate etc from different people.

I could cover only few very popular Raas in this article. You are most welcome to add and modify. Waiting for your comments. At orkut, there was an interesting discussion on listing GARABAs. The content of this article is contributed by all enthusiastic people from my native place Mithapur, (Gujarat). Hiral has also contributed. Acknowledged to all.

Stay tune to this blog Express YourSelf ! You will find one more such article. A compilation of content shared by people on a social networking website.